NOTE ON THE IDENTITY OF CALLIOSTOMA SOWERBYI, PILSBRY, WITH C. HALIARCHUS, MELVILL

NOTE ON THE IDENTITY OF CALLIOSTOHA SOWERBYI , PILSBET,
WITH C. HA LI ARCH US, MELYILL.

By James Cosmo Melyill, B.L.S.

Read 12 th November , 1909.

In 1878 Mr. G. B. Sowerby described 1 a then unique member of the
Trochidce, from Japan, under the name Zmjphinus jucundus . It was
a fairly smooth shell, finely granolirate on the uppermost whorls, the
succeeding ones, as well as the body-whorl, being almost smooth, with
the exception of granoliration at the sutures, the aperture obliquely
quadrate, mouth pearly. Alt. 30, diam. 33 mm.

In January, 1889, the description 2 of Zmjphinus haliarchus, mihi,
was published, the type being an unique shell lately presented to the
Manchester Museum, Owens College (now the Victoria University of
Manchester), by the executors of the late Mr. Reginald Cholmondeley,
of Condover Hall, Shrewsbury, together with many other rare and
valuable specimens. This fine shell was differentiated from Z. jucundus,
Sowb., by certain characters, such as greater inflation, tenuity of
substance, size (alt. 40, diam. 36 mm.), etc. It was also reported,
with some queried element of doubt, to have been dredged in deep
water off the eastern coasts of Australia.

Now, Dr. Gould had, in 1849, already published a Zmjphinus
under the name of Trochus jucundus, and, accordingly, when working-
on his able monograph of the Trochkke, Dr. H. A. Bilsbry, finding it
thus necessary to change the name of Sowerby’s shell, prepared for it
the appellation Sowerbyi, by which it has been since known.

Quite recently, I received from Mr. Sowerby a specimen labelled
“ Calliostoma Sowerbyi, Pils.’h and I at once recognized it as
identical with C. haliarchus. The following week I was able, in
company with Mr. It. Standen, to compare it with the type, when my
impressions were confirmed, it differing in not much else except size.
This proves conclusively how often erroneous conclusions may be
drawn from only reading a description, or comparing a figure, however
well executed, when one is not able to examine the type.

I placed the matter before Mr. Sowerby, who kindly at once gave
me his opinion upon the subject, which was that both his name
jucundus must yield to Dr. Gould’s, and Soioerbyi, Bilsbry, to haliarchus,
Melv., for, though both the latter appellations were bestowed in
1889, haliarchus was published 1st January, while Sowerbyi appeared
in the fourth instalment (out of five) of vol. xi of the Manual, and
therefore was published after 1st August.

1 Proc. Zool. Soc., 1878, p. 798, pi. xlviii, fig. 6.

2 Journ. of Conch, published January 1, 1889, vol. vi, p. 32, pi. ii, fig. 3.

8

PKOCEEDINGS OF THE MALA COLO GICAL SOCIETY.

The synonymy, therefore, will stand as follows :—

Calliostoma haliaechtjs (Melv.).

Zizyphimis jucundus , Sowerby, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1878, p. 798,
pi. xlviii, fig. 6 (non Gould, 1849).

Z. haliar chits, Melvill, Journ. of Conch., vol. vi, p. 32, pi. ii, fig. 3
(January 1, 1889).

Calliostoma Soiverhyi , Pilsbry, ITan. Conch., 1889, vol. xi, pt. iv,
p. 352.

Hah. —Japan, and perhaps East Australia.

*